Adjustable drop nipple for sprinklers below hung ceilings



Sept 22, 1970 c. ADAMS, JR 3,529,671

ADJUSTABLE DROP NIPPLE FOR SPRINKLERS BELOW HUNG CEILINGS Filed on. 22, 1968 12 W n u =2 W IO I7 H62 A \20 I i 20 --2 1 FIGLI i 23 w .L e 1 \3 \J A 22 A ii FIGW4 INVENTOR CHARLES ADAMS, JR.

United States Patent 3,529,671 ADJUSTABLE DROP NIPPLE FOR SPRINKLERS BELOW HUNG CEILINGS Charles Adams, .112, 9 Lexington Drive, Croton-on-Hudson,N.Y. 10520 Filed Oct. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 769,616 Int. Cl. A62c 39/00 US. Cl. 169-41 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention consists of a pipe nipple having an enlarged head in which is located a plurality of internal pipe threads. A plurality of internal acme threads are also located within the aforesaid pipe nipple, the acme threads extending downward from the bottom of the aforesaid pipe threads to the top one of two vertically disposed and spaced O-rings that are located just above the opening in the bottom of the aforesaid pipe nipple. An adjustable pipe nipple having a plurality of external acme threads on the upper end thereof is screwed into the aforesaid adjustable pipe nipple, the lower portion of the aforesaid adjustable nipple extending down out the bottom of the already mentioned pipe nipple. The lower end of the adjustable nipple being provided with a plurality of internal pipe threads into which is screwed the; upper end of a sprinkler head.

This invention relates to fire protection; more particularly, to sprinklers that are hung down from the ceilings of buildings for this purpose; still more particularly, to a new and novel nipple used in the installation of sprinklers hung below ceilings, as will hereinafter be described.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an adjustable drop nipple for sprinklers hung below ceilings that will permit the installation of a sprinkler hung below a ceiling in four easy steps instead of the presently required eight separate steps, as will be understood by those experienced in the art on their reading of the specification and its appended claims.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable drop nipple for sprinklers hung :below ceilings that will permit the sprinkler system to be installed before the hung ceiling is put in place, thereby providing the earliest possible fire protection the building.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable drop nipple for sprinklers hung below ceilings is to reduce the labor cost of a sprinkler installation by doing away with the need for individually measuring and cutting each separate drop pipe in the field to suit the ceiling level.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the reading of this specification proceeds and the accompanying drawings is examined.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertically disposed sectional view of this invention, taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a side view of this invention installed above a ceiling, only the invention is shown in solid black lines.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the adjustable nipple of this invention, rotated at ninety degrees from that shown in any other view of the drawing.

FIG. 5 is an optional form of the adjustable nipple portion of this invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of that por- "ice tion of this invention that is enclosed within the arrowed ellipse and indicated by the number 6 in FIG. 5.

In the drawing, like parts are indicated by like reference numbers in the several views.

Looking first at FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that this invention consists of a pipe nipple 10 having an enlarged head 11 in which is located internal pipe threads 12 for the reception of the lower externally threaded end of a drop pipe 13. The aforesaid pipe nipple has internal acme threads 14, extending from the bottom of the already mentioned pipe threads 12, downward to the top one of two vertically spaced O-rings 15 that are located in the lower end of the pipe nipple 10. This pipe nipple 10 has a bottom opening adapted to provide a sliding fit for the adjustable nipple 16 of this invention, the adjustable nipple 16 being made of metal. The adjustable nipple 16 is smooth on its outside with the exception of the externally disposed acme threads 17, which are formed by using a metal spring, and is located on the upper end of the aforesaid nipple 16 for screwing the nipple into the aforesaid acme threads 14 of the F. M. Coup 10. The lower end of the adjustable nipple 16 is provided with internal pipe threads 18 in which is screwed the upper end of a sprinkler head 19 that is shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The sides of the lower end of the aforesaid adjustable nipple 1-6 are provided with two diametrically opposed flats 20 in order to provide a grip for a wrench when this invention is being installed and it is necessary to screw or unscrew the aforesaid adjustable nipple 16 into or out of the lower end of the pipe nipple 10.

While the way in which this novel invention of an adjustable drop nipple for sprinkler below hung ceilings is used will be fully understood by those experienced in the art upon examination of the accompanying drawing, I am herein stating in detail its installation instructions for the benefit of those less experienced in the art.

The aforesaid drop pipe is cut to allow a full 3 /2 inches extension of the center of the aforesaid adjustable nipple 16 below line of the finished ceiling of the room. Now place escutcheon plate and screw the sprinkler head 19 in the internal threads 18. Cover the aforesaid sprinkler head for protection against painting, plaster, and other ceiling finishes. Charge the sprinkler system and test hydrostatically as required by agencies having jurisdiction over the above kind of work. After the installation of the hung ceiling, adjust the aforesaid sprinkler head 19 to the finish ceiling lever by taking up on the aforesaid adjustable nipple 16, using a sprinkler head wrench on the sprinkler head. If the sprinkler head must be placed in a given direction, take up on the sprinkler head in the aforesaid adjustable nipple outlet and hold the adjustable nipple against turning with an S-wrcnch on the two aforesaid flats 20 of the adjustable nipple 16. Care should be exercised against placing the sprinkler head 19 too tightly against the ceiling in order to avoid the weight of the ceiling against the escutcheon plate 21 which can be made in two pieces for reason of assembly, as will be understood by those experienced in the art. The actual method of assembly of the aforesaid escutcheon plate 21 is of course left up to the person installing this invention in a building.

An optional and simplified form of the aforesaid adjustable nipple 16 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing. In this form of the nipple, which is now indicated in the drawing by the reference number 22, the upper end of the nipple is cut or otherwise formed at the same pitch as the aforesaid acme thread 17. In fact, the just-mentioned upper end is rolled or otherwise formed into a full acme thread 23, as one can clearly see on examination of FIG. 6 of the drawing. This method of forming a single acme thread on the upper end of the adjustable nipple will provide a more efiicient and economical thread than the one previously described which may still be preferred by some manufacturers of this invention.

This invention is subject to whatever changes and/or modifications one may care to make in so long as the changes and/or modifications fall within the scope and intent of the appended claims.

What I now claim as new is:

1. An adjustable drop nipple for sprinklers below hung ceilings, comprising a pipe nipple having the upper end of the said nipple enlarged and internally threaded to be screwed to the lower end of a drop pipe, the lower ends of said threads terminate with the beginning of the upper end of internal acme threads that are formed in the said pipe nipple and which extend on down to the top one of two vertically spaced O-rings that are located in the lower portion of the said pipe nipple, the said pipe nipple containing an adjustable nipple whose lower end extends below the said pipe nipple, the opening in the bottom of said pipe nipple is of such a diameter as to slidably permit the said adjustable nipple to extend downward therefrom between the outside wall of the said adjustable nipple and the inside of the opening of the said pipe nipple without the leakage of water, the lower end of the said adjustable nipple being adapted to receive the externally threaded upper end of a sprinkler head.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the said pipe nipple is provided with an opening that slidably permits the said adjustable nipple to project below the said pipe nipple.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the upper end of the said adjustable nipple is provided with external acme threads that screw into the said internal threads of the said pipe nipple when the said adjustable nipple is assembled to the said pipe nipple.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the lower end of the said adjustable nipple is provided with two diametrically opposed flats on the outside thereof in order to provide a place of securement for a wrench to obtain a grip when this invention is being installed in a sprinkler system.

5. The invention of claim 2, wherein the upper end of the said adjustable nipple is cut or otherwise formed at the necessary pitch for a single full acme thread which is rolled or otherwise formed on the said upper end of the said adjustable nipple which has its lower end provided with two diametrically opposed flats on the outside thereof in order to provide a place of securement for a wrench to obtain a grip when this invention is being installed in a sprinkler system.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein the upper end of the said pipe nipple is provided with a steel spring that forms a plurality of acme threads which screw into the said pipe nipple; and a plurality of O-rings which form a water tight joint between the lower end of the said pipe nipple and the upper end of the said adjustable nipple.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,833,040 11/1931 Rader 285302 LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner G. A. CHURCH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 285302 

